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To Ann Coulter's Critics: "Shut Up And Read"
Charleston City Paper ^ | June 14, 2006 | Michael Graham

Posted on 06/14/2006 9:48:34 AM PDT by suspects

I know, I know. Ann Coulter is Satan.

She's vicious. She's outrageous. She is not to be tolerated. I understand.

But I have a quick question for you: Have you actually read her book?

I mean, as you're gathering your ropes and lighting your torches and looking for a well-placed tree limb, don't you think you should take an hour or two and, you know, read what Coulter actually said?

"But Michael, who would ever read such filth? Such hateful extremism! She's a witch! Burn! Burn!"

And so goes the debate with the American Left...

Call me crazy, but before I joined prominent Democratic lawmakers around the country demanding that Godless be banned from book stores (the dunking stool and public stocks will be waiting for Coulter at the Paramus, N.J., Barnes & Noble next week), I'd want to know what is in the darn thing. Based on their writings and public statements, it appears that not one of the would-be book banners has done so.

"Why waste our time, Michael? She's just a bomb-thrower. A name-caller!"

True, it's hard to take seriously people who describe their political opponents as "stupid," "ugly" "vile," "viperous," "rabidly hateful," "foaming-at-the-mouth," "sub-human," or who suggest they go kill themselves. But Ann Coulter didn't say any of these things. No, these are comments from media outlets like the New York Times, the Washington Post, and Ad Age magazine about Ann Coulter.

The London Times ­even labeled her the "Bitch Goddess of American conservatives." I guess they were offended by all that name-calling.

The editorial invective rolls across Coulter like a muddy river from the maw of the mainstream media. However, what the London Times and New York Times and, alas, the Charleston City Paper are unlikely to do is actually review Coulter's book. And the one thing the hair-pulling liberals shaking with rage on talk TV refuse to do is confront the actual arguments Ann Coulter presents.

The Coulter cranks scream over two sentences in Godless about the "Jersey Girls," those four hyper-political, media-hungry 9/11 widows Coulter shames by quoting them accurately. Meanwhile, there are 281 pages of arguments, insults, and outrageous-but-on-point invective that raise issues worth debating. Plus footnotes.

Did angry Democrats join forces with the "Witches of East Brunswick" to politicize the 9/11 Commission for personal satisfaction and political gain? Shouldn't people spreading the idiotic fallacy that George W. Bush was responsible for the World Trade Center attack be criticized, even if they lost loved ones on that horrific day? Did these women cheapen the legacy of 9/11 as they appeared in Democratic campaign ads and pushed Democratic talking points on Larry King?

Ann Coulter says "yes." She's got pages of arguments and cheap shots to back it up. Whatta you got?

Oh, sorry, I forgot. You're a liberal. You don't read books you disagree with. You ban them. That's why you're so much better than those mouth-breathing evangelical morons who elected Bush.

Reading Godless means no longer being able to declare sainthood for pseudo-spy Valerie Plame or her hapless, fourth-rate hack of a husband, "Ambassador" Joe Wilson. (Coulter's recounting of Wilson's failed foreign service career, culminating in his post as Ambassador to Gabon, is hilarious.)

Reading Godless means facing the fact that the American Left has abandoned the principle of self-government and now opposes the very idea of democracy when it comes to abortion, the definition of marriage, and the operation of "public" (insert ironic laugh here) schools. She also reminds us that, before 1860, Democrats were also proudly "pro-choice" on the issue of slavery, too.

Coulter's opponents avoid all this by simply refusing to fight. She comes out swinging, they come out whining. Unfortunately for them, the facts aren't going to change, the arguments won't go away, and 500,000 people are going to read her book. When they're done, they'll be smarter, she'll be richer, and you — my book-banning, name-calling, debate-avoiding liberal friends — will have done more than Coulter ever could to prove her point.

Is Ann Coulter mean? Is she nasty? Maybe, maybe not. But the question normal people will be asking is "Is she right?" My advice to you would-be "Ann"-nihilators would be to stop whining and start reading.


TOPICS: Culture/Society; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: 911; anncoulter; bookreview; godless; media; michaelgraham
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1 posted on 06/14/2006 9:48:36 AM PDT by suspects
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To: suspects

Excellent article.

And it's not true she turned me into a newt.


2 posted on 06/14/2006 9:50:33 AM PDT by BelegStrongbow
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To: suspects

Reading it now.


3 posted on 06/14/2006 9:50:34 AM PDT by Graybeard58 (Remember and pray for Sgt. Matt Maupin - MIA/POW- Iraq since 04/09/04)
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To: suspects

This columnist's advice applies to many on FR as well.


4 posted on 06/14/2006 9:51:47 AM PDT by Kenny Bunkport (Left's reaction to "GODLESS": "They haven't hated a book this much since the Bible." (pissant))
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To: suspects

This guy's good.....


5 posted on 06/14/2006 9:51:52 AM PDT by Mr. K (Some days even my lucky rocketship underpants don't help...)
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To: suspects

bttt


6 posted on 06/14/2006 9:52:11 AM PDT by EdReform (Protect our 2nd Amendment Rights - Join the NRA today - www.nra.org)
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To: BelegStrongbow

What did she turn Newt into?


7 posted on 06/14/2006 9:52:23 AM PDT by Hegemony Cricket (Rugged individualists of the world, unite!)
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To: suspects
The London Times ­even labeled her the "Bitch Goddess of American conservatives." I guess they were offended by all that name-calling.

Great line.

8 posted on 06/14/2006 9:53:22 AM PDT by Kenny Bunkport (Left's reaction to "GODLESS": "They haven't hated a book this much since the Bible." (pissant))
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To: suspects

Ouch, that's gonna leave a mark.


9 posted on 06/14/2006 9:53:38 AM PDT by butternut_squash_bisque (The recipe's at my FR HomePage. Try it!)
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To: suspects
Coulter Rules!

Photobucket - Video and Image Hosting

Photobucket - Video and Image Hosting

10 posted on 06/14/2006 9:54:16 AM PDT by b4its2late (Why is 'abbreviation' such a long word?)
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To: Kenny Bunkport

What conservative outlet should get my Coulter book business?


11 posted on 06/14/2006 9:54:42 AM PDT by samadams2000 (Somebody important make The Call.....pitchforks and lanterns.!)
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To: suspects
We got DA RULZ around here...


12 posted on 06/14/2006 9:54:45 AM PDT by Yo-Yo (USAF, TAC, 12th AF, 366 TFW, 366 MG, 366 CRS, Mtn Home AFB, 1978-81)
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To: suspects

They're regularly bashing the book at Denver's Craig's list Rants and Raves section.
I, of course, go on the defense -nuking the lefties at every chance.

The last nuking I had was at someone who stated that he read it and said it sucked. I replied, "Please tell me the first three words on page#146.
No reply.

http://denver.craigslist.org/rnr/

(NOT work friendly - they can be a bit nasty in there)


13 posted on 06/14/2006 9:54:56 AM PDT by RandallFlagg (Roll your own cigarettes! You'll save $$$ and smoke less!(Magnetic bumper stickers-click my name)
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To: suspects

Ann does sometimes go over the cliff when she speaks..but I agree the "activist widows" needed examination. They disgust me. I was given two of Coulter's books and they were great fast reads...not for libs, however..LOL


14 posted on 06/14/2006 9:54:57 AM PDT by MEG33 (GOD BLESS OUR ARMED FORCES)
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To: suspects
The other night Larry King Alive had a round table discussion about how awful Coulter is. They did have one token conservative who was allowed to utter a few words before they all talked over him. The whole thing reeked of a gossip session.
15 posted on 06/14/2006 9:54:57 AM PDT by Jeff Chandler (Build the fence. Sí, Se Puede!)
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To: suspects

Thank you.


16 posted on 06/14/2006 9:55:14 AM PDT by newconhere (bzzzzzzzzzzzzzz. zap)
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To: BelegStrongbow

Me, too. But I got better.


17 posted on 06/14/2006 9:55:38 AM PDT by rightinthemiddle (Islamic Terrorists, the Mainstream Media and the Democrat Party Have the Same Goals in Iraq.)
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To: b4its2late
Coulter Rules!

Except when it comes to science.

18 posted on 06/14/2006 9:55:57 AM PDT by RadioAstronomer (Senior member of Darwin Central)
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To: Jeff Chandler

Saw it too. Unbelievable. Last night we had Gore on, PUKE. He's a toon.


19 posted on 06/14/2006 9:56:30 AM PDT by newconhere (bzzzzzzzzzzzzzz. zap)
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To: suspects

They attack her because they know she might be right.


20 posted on 06/14/2006 9:56:47 AM PDT by rightinthemiddle (Islamic Terrorists, the Mainstream Media and the Democrat Party Have the Same Goals in Iraq.)
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